A Champion of Light and Lions (Cersei Lannister x OC)

5 - Memories

⚠ Content warning: explicit SA scene

Myrcella's boat was only a speck on the horizon when we turned away from it.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save her", I said quietly to Cersei. "But all will be well, I promise. We will find a way to get her back after we deal with Stannis."

Cersei only nodded, not quite looking at me. She was disappointed that I hadn't intercepted Tyrion's scheme, I knew that. But I couldn't. There was too much at stake. And I thought that deep down, she knew it, too.

Our procession made its way through the streets, back toward the Red Keep.

"All hail the king!", the people shouted left and right. I smiled despite myself. A puppet king. If only they knew who held the true power... But they would, soon enough. When the time was right, Cersei would show them all who she was, what she was destined for. And then these crowds would cheer for her, would make offerings and name their daughters after her. She would be as big of a legend as Aegon the Conqueror, or Baelor the Blessed, or the Titan of Braavos in the east. A hero.

I didn't hear when the shouts had transitioned to angry jeers. I only saw the brown heap flying at Joffrey's face, and then all hell broke loose.

The guards drew their swords, scanning the crowd for the culprit or any more possible attackers. Threatened by their weapons, the people began targeting the guards.

"Who threw that?", Joffrey demanded. "Get the man who threw that. Find the man who did that and bring him to me!"

The mob started fighting the guards more violently, knocking several of them to the ground.

"Kill them! Kill them all!", Joffrey yelled, while all around him carnage already ensued.

All the members of the nobility were ushered away with a retinue of guards. I saw Cersei leaving, ducking between a group of Lannister soldiers, and Ned Stark's daughter, disappearing into an alley with two Goldcloaks. Nobody made a move to protect me. Why would they, after all? I wasn't highborn, or well known among the court. I knew I had to run, now.

I pushed through the masses of fighting men, trying to get off the main street. The closer I got to the edge of our guarded circle, the more the throng closed in. I sought cover behind a soldier and used him to slip through an archway unnoticed. 

It led up a narrow, winding staircase, which opened up onto the same street I had just come from, just farther uphill. This city was a maze! How was I ever going to find my way back to the castle in this chaos?

A hand grabbed my arm and I jerked away, running again. I just had to keep moving. If I stayed here, I would surely die. Keeping close to the fronts of the houses, I rushed past the crowds mostly unnoticed.

Up ahead, I saw an alleyway that seemed to be a shortcut to the street parallel to mine. It would bring me considerably closer to the Red Keep, which stood looming over the city like a beacon. That was where safety was. I just had to make it.

Sliding into the alleyway and nearly hitting the wall given the speed I was going, I raced through to the other side and found myself looking out on the Street of Silk - the street of brothels. This was the last place I wanted to be, but I turned my fear into an incentive to run even faster. 

Half closing my eyes as to not see the establishments to either side of me, I did not notice the man coming my way until he barrelled into me. I gasped, the air knocked out of me, and would have fallen, had the man not caught my wrist.